Chapter 38
Seeing how much he was looking forward to it, Elphis couldn't help feeling a little annoyed. Why did he forget to suggest in his letter that Winster should go to school?
As for his plan to go to the Sword Master Academy as an exchange student, it was a self-improvement plan he had made long ago. Now it seems that he can also look after Winster, killing two birds with one stone.
"After some more training, I will go back to Lisai Town to see Grandpa. I will bring you back to the Royal City a few days early to familiarize you with the environment. You..."
Winster seemed to know what he wanted to ask, "I won't show up in town anymore. It's hard to explain what happened back then."
Elphis nodded. His younger brother really had no feelings for other people, so there was no need to visit him. As for his grandfather, he had accepted the fact that Winster's body was gone over the years. He was old, so it was better for him to be less stimulated.
Feeling ignored by his friend again, Auston came over unhappily and asked, "What are you guys secretly chatting about?"
"Nothing, just about taking Winster to Rockefeller University. By the way, didn't you graduate from there? Is there anything special you can tell us?"
"What—this guy is going back with us?!"
The unbelievable sound attracted the attention of all the hunters, and when they heard that Winster seemed to be leaving, they all gathered around him.
Although Winster usually doesn't like to talk to them, they have known each other for many years. Hansen and others have watched him grow from a half-grown child to his current appearance, and they have also become accustomed to this silent and reliable little guy staying in their team.
Suddenly learning that Winster was leaving, I couldn't help but feel regretful, but I wasn't surprised at all - his strength was improving too fast, and in another year or two he would leave Hansen and the others far behind, and this small group wouldn't be a place for him to stay for long.
Besides… they have all lived for decades, can’t they see that this kid has something on his mind? Now that the person he’s worried about has appeared, it’s normal to treat him well and follow others.
Elphis briefly explained it to everyone, and Hansen and the others thought it was a good idea to send Winster to school. Some of them showed nostalgic expressions, "We also graduated from Rockefeller, but our talents were average. We haven't made much progress in all these years. With Winster's talent, there will definitely be strong teachers in the academy who will be eager to take him in as an apprentice."
Auston looked strange. He had only graduated for a year, so he knew the level of the students at the Sword Master Academy. Although he was reluctant to admit it, he didn't need to learn much from Rockefeller.
Elphis frowned, "He is still young, he should experience what college life is like."
Children should stay in a safe place and receive education, and it would be better if they can make some friends.
Winster stood next to the blue-eyed young man, his expressionless face revealing a bit of obedience, letting the people around him decide his affairs.
Hansen and others who knew him well said: "..." If anyone else had said that Winster was still a child, this kid would have drawn his sword and attacked him!
Auston no longer had any reason to persuade his friend not to take Winster back to the royal city. Thinking of his friend being snatched away by a sinister villain and drifting away from him in the future, he was completely depressed...
His Royal Highness was too embarrassed to ask "Who is more important, him or me?" It was Elphis who noticed his thoughts and talked to him privately for a while, emphasizing that Winster was his younger brother and a family member who needed care, while Auston would always be his best friend.
After being comforted, His Royal Highness felt much better. After all, Al had many family members, but he was his only good friend.
Afterwards, His Royal Highness the Prince looked at Winster as if he were an ignorant younger brother, and instantly found the brat much more pleasing to the eye.
Ten days later, several people returned to Hippo City and auctioned off their gains on the way.
The money Jeff and his team paid for their lives and the proceeds from the nest of Wind-Riding Giant Eagles were already a huge profit, and the total value of the other things was not low either. For Hansen and his team, this was probably the luckiest commission in their careers!
Afterwards, Elphis took the teleportation array back to Lise Town. Austin, who had nothing to do, followed him, wanting to see what kind of place his friend had lived in since he was a child.
Winster was naturally along as well, but he wore a cloak and a hat, and got off the carriage before reaching the destination. His Royal Highness was not seen for the next two days, which made His Royal Highness very confused.
Especially after Al reminded him not to mention Winster's name in town and to deliver every meal to a cave in the forest, he became even more confused!
Then Elphis finally made up a half-true story to fool him.
Pastor Kaven took the strengthening potion brought back by Elphis, and performed healing spells twice a year, so his health has always been good.
He has always been reluctant to retire in the royal city, as the bishop's court there would never let him in, so the old man would rather stay here and do what he can. In addition to preaching, teaching generation after generation of children in the town to read also gives him a sense of accomplishment.
After not staying in Lisai for long, the three of them went to the distant Ramon Sea. In fact, there was no discussion. His Royal Highness did not want to make a choice at all, and Winster followed his brother without thinking. The two of them had no idea, and Elphis decided the itinerary alone.
There are many cities along the sea, and the one they arrived at was the Pearl City, which was involved in Elphis's industry.
As the name suggests, this place is rich in pearls, and the most attractive thing for tourists is the pearl product trade.
The most common ones are pearls produced by various clams. Occasionally, someone is lucky enough to obtain a water-repellent pearl made from mermaid's tears. By taking it to the auction house, they can exchange it for enough wealth to enjoy the rest of their lives.
The hotels here are different from those inland. The dishes are mainly based on a wide variety of seafood. Being located close to the sea, the food is naturally fresh and sweet. This kind of taste is also rare in the royal city, so the three of them ate a little more than in the previous few days.
Austin crushed the hard crab shells easily, eating and chatting, "I say, you didn't come all the way here to eat, did you? This city is surrounded by the sea on one side and inland on the other. There's no place for training." You can't think of going to the sea, right?
The handsome young man, whose hair had been dyed back to silver, calmly said something that left His Royal Highness speechless: "I'm here to see the mermaid."
Auston: "...Please don't make it sound as simple as buying pearls."
There is a long-standing rumor on the mainland that someone once read a note from a god that said a male mermaid's heart could be used to make a magic potion that could extend one's lifespan by 500 years.
In fact, this is an unconfirmed statement, but the powerful people without talent, as well as the swordsmen and mages who have not yet made a breakthrough and are approaching the deadline, do not mind giving it a try. After all, as long as they pay a few tiny gold coins, there are many people who will find goods for them to do research.
Mermaids are the darlings of the sea. Unless they are extremely powerful wizards or swordsmen, it is almost impossible for other humans to catch and kill them.
But humans are the most cunning creatures after all, and all kinds of schemes emerge one after another. Over the past few hundred years, many mermaids have been captured.
Even though no potion master has yet developed a potion that can extend lifespan, humans have never given up on this - every potion with amazing effects requires a long period of research to succeed. Even if it hasn't been developed this time, maybe it can be developed next time.
Several hundred years ago, when hunting first appeared, the mermaids also caused a tsunami to flood the city in retaliation. However, the coastal cities that had killed the mermaids had already hired powerful water mages to take charge. In the confrontation between the two sides, the losses suffered by the human race were far from satisfactory to the mermaids, but they were helpless.
At that time, humans also made a promise not to kill mermaids at will. This was of course false. They just changed the open killing to luring them away. If mermaids disappeared again, there was no evidence that it was done by humans.
Mermaids are not stupid. They are of course aware that their tribe is always being coveted. However, humans are now in power and have many means at their disposal. In a head-on conflict, the only ones who will suffer are their own people, whose numbers are already small. They can only choose to live in the deep sea for a long time and avoid humans.
Austin: "Instead of wasting your time here and encountering a mermaid, you might as well go around the area around Silegusen. You might be able to see an elf with a stunning appearance from afar."
Elphis did not explain his fantastic plan, but just asked casually: "Do you know why only the heart of a male mermaid can be used as medicine?"
Auston shook his head: "I don't know. A heart is a heart. Is it different because of gender?"
Winster: "Maybe this is what aliens are like?"
After another fruitless inquiry, the silver-haired young man sighed regretfully. This question had troubled him for several years. He wondered if the rumor was wrong...
However, humans did not let go of the female mermaids just because the main target was the male mermaids. After all, the enchanting beauty of this race is really seductive, and the pearls transformed from their tears are also very valuable.
Elphis packed a large bowl of fried dried fish, ten cakes, and several pots of sweet fruit wine.
Auston looked at him in surprise: "Isn't it true that alcohol in this store can never be taken out? Aren't cakes limited in quantity?"
Elphis said without any guilt: "I know the boss well, so I can make an exception."
"I see."
Winster glanced at His Royal Highness the Prince: Ha, outsider.
Elphis went out and bought some expensive but beautiful pearl jewelry and a basket of fruit. Auston joked, "Why, do you want to give a gift to the mermaid?"
Unexpectedly, the other party looked at him in surprise: "How did you know?"
Auston laughed heartily at his friend's flattery.
Then Elphis took the two of them to a reef outside the city where there was no one around. He waved his staff, and his wings of light carried them to a high place.
The silver-haired young man was a little ahead, and the two behind him looked at each other, then turned their heads away in disgust. They had the same idea - these light and white wings were more suitable for Al/brother, and the other guy's posture hanging in the air was simply clumsy and ugly!
After a while, Auston looked at the vast ocean and put on a mask of pain: "I say, you don't want to keep flying in the sky looking for mermaids?"
Winster: "Brother, Auston looks very tired. Send him to the shore to rest. I will accompany you to find the mermaid."
Elphis: "Don't worry, we are almost there."
He controlled the light wings to fly very fast and the coastline was no longer in sight. After a while, they landed at the foot of a steep cliff beside an island. Waves kept hitting them from here. If Elphis had not put up the light shield in time, the three of them would have been soaked.
Auston looked at his friend with a blank look in his eyes, "Do you want to use food to lure the mermaids out, or do you want to call them affectionately and try to move them to respond to you with your sincerity?"
Elphis ignored him, took out the crystal ball and tried to contact someone, and then...
Auston's eyes widened as he looked at the cute little face in the crystal ball. "Mermaid--!!!"
His Royal Highness the Prince was so shocked to see a mermaid so suddenly that his voice broke. Winster glanced at him with disdain.
The little mermaid has light pink ear fins, and the red scales around her ears spread down to her cheeks, gradually turning pink and white before connecting to soft white skin. Her eyes are clear red, and when she saw the silver-haired young man, her eyes widened with surprise and were filled with light. Then she quickly noticed the presence of two outsiders, and it was not difficult to see her vigilance even through the crystal ball.
"Long time no see, Liv."
Seeing the beautiful and gentle smile, the little mermaid relaxed a little, "Brother El, who are they?"
"They are my friends. Don't worry. They are all very good people. If I find out that they want to hurt you, I will break their legs."
Auston: “…” Hey, hey, hey, don’t say such cruel words to a child with such a gentle face!
"Brother brought you gifts, do you want to come over?"
"Yes-Brother Al, wait for me!"
The image in the crystal ball was cut off, and Elphis put it away leisurely. Then, His Royal Highness held down his shoulders and shook him vigorously: "Damn it! You actually hid the fact that you knew a mermaid from me! Why didn't you tell me earlier? I was not mentally prepared at all! If I had known, I would have bought some good things!"
Elphis frowned, thinking that Auston was being unreasonable. "Didn't you say during dinner that you wanted to see the mermaid?"
“…” You said it so casually, who would have thought it was true!
Winster restrained his unpleasant expression and moved a little closer to his brother. Thinking about the fact that the mermaid couldn't even leave the sea and had no ability to stay around his brother all the time, he felt a little better.
Austin: "Tell me, how did you become friends with the mermaids? Don't they hate humans?"
The more extreme ones will specifically look for ships and then create huge waves to submerge the entire ship.
Elphis was about to give a brief explanation when he saw the waves surge. Then he thought about the speed of the mermaid in the sea...
"We'll talk about it later."
Just as Austin was about to ask, he saw a little head pop out from the reef, followed by another head, and another head... His Royal Highness was confused. Didn't he only contact one little mermaid? Where did these ten come from? ! !
The mermaids that appear here include young and adult mermaids, both male and female. They have extremely beautiful faces and pale skin, but the rest of their bodies are very bright, especially their lips, which are so red that they seem to be stained with blood. The sea water is clear, and people standing on the reef can clearly see their beautiful and powerful fish tails.
As soon as the mermaids emerged, calls began to rise one after another—
"Brother Al! You haven't come to see us for a long time!"
"Al, how are you doing lately?"
"My dear, you look like a beautiful mermaid and an elf, nothing like a hateful human."
Auston, who was looked at warily by the mermaids nearby, said: “…” Embarrassed.
Unlike him, Winster didn't care about the mermaid's defensiveness and hostility.
The silver-haired young man sat cross-legged on the reef, his brows softer than the faint light, "This place is too far inland, I can only come to see you during my holidays. I brought you gifts, come and choose."
Several little mermaids scrambled for fruits and fried dried fish. Although freshly caught seafood was good, the crispy and salty fried fish was more delicious than the food you could eat every day. The soft and sweet cake was also delicious! The adult mermaids took wine and pearls and gemstone jewelry.
"Al has a really good taste. The accessories he brings are always beautiful."
The young man reminded several female mermaids who were happily trying on the shoes, "Sister Lydia, there are still a lot of them here. Remember to take them back and share them with the other sisters who didn't come."
Unable to keep them all, the three adult females agreed disappointedly.
"Little Liv, this is your pearl. Your brother asked someone to make it for you. Why don't you try it on?"
The little mermaid with a red tail exclaimed in surprise, holding a large string of pearls, and stared at the silver-haired young man with her clear and moist eyes wide open, "Liv likes them very much, but these pearls are a gift from me to my brother Al."
These are all made from her tears, and humans love them, so why did Brother El give them back to her...
Elphis was always happy to coax well-behaved children. "But my brother would feel sad when he saw Liv's tears, so he made them into a beautiful pearl string, hoping that Liv would feel happy when she saw it in the future and would not cry anymore."
This is a large two-layer pearl necklace. After the little mermaid ties it around her waist, there will be a slightly loose layer hanging on the side of her hips, but it will always be stuck there and will not fall down. There is a sea blue gem around the waist, which matches her red fishtail very well.
The little mermaid blushed and swam around happily nearby. Austin couldn't help but twitch his mouth: Fortunately, this is not an adult mermaid, otherwise this guy Al would probably be abducted to the deep sea as a mate.
Suddenly, he heard a different sound than the sound of waves. He turned his head and saw Winster with a tense face and clenched fists. He couldn't help but laugh in his heart. He was jealous already? What would he do when he got to the royal city?
Elphis stayed here and chatted with the mermaids until dusk. He remained calm even when they scolded humans for being treacherous and hateful. They also shared their own experiences of being cheated (unsuccessfully) with a common hatred of the enemy.
The only person who felt embarrassed was the human prince... After all, the royal family has always wanted humans to make friends with other intelligent races, but there has been no progress over the years. Auston now thinks that his mother should send Al as a diplomatic envoy, which will achieve twice the result with half the effort!
Only half of the sunset remained above the sea level. Elphis said goodbye to the mermaids and returned to the city with the two people who had been silent for half a day.
"Why didn't you talk just now? Auston, I thought you would be very enthusiastic about them."
Winster is fine, this kid has always been very introverted. Just now he kept pulling his sleeve and leaning on him, which shows that he is not used to getting along with a lot of strangers.
Auston: "...I don't think they want to bother with me. So how did you hook up with the mermaid?"
Winster gave him a cold look and said, "Don't use random words."
Elphis briefly explained how he met the mermaid. As for the deepening of their friendship, it was the result of their subsequent meetings, so he was too lazy to explain.
Auston thought about how Al was more patient with the mermaids than with his classmates who he had known for several years, "You were pretty nice to them."
"Wouldn't it be a pity if we could never see such beautiful creatures again in this world?"
Protecting endangered species is everyone's responsibility.
After their trip to the Ramon Sea, the three returned some time before school started.
After taking another teleportation array, they arrived at the royal city. Austin turned around, stretched out his long arm, and made a 'stop' gesture with his palm, "Let me go first, you can come in later."
Winster didn't know the inside story, but he was willing to keep a distance from him.
Elphis, who was wearing a large hood, said: "...I only showed half of my face, don't be so exaggerated."
"Haha." The prince took the next step into the teleportation array, ready to return to the palace as soon as he landed.
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